{"id":6525,"date":"2016-12-28T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6525"},"modified":"2023-02-10T14:03:40","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T19:03:40","slug":"imaginations-take-flight-ideas-for-a-childrens-international-storytime-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/28\/imaginations-take-flight-ideas-for-a-childrens-international-storytime-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Imaginations Take Flight: Ideas for a Children\u2019s International Storytime Party"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"safari<\/a>
We All Went on Safari | Image courtesy Amazon Seller and Author Laurie Krebs<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe all went on safari, over grasslands damp with dew\u2026\u201d Little minds will fill with wonder as the story <\/span>We All Went on Safari<\/span><\/i> unfolds in detailed descriptions and colorful pictures, transporting wee ones to the foreign land of Tanzania on the wings of their imaginations\u2014and with the help of author Laurie Krebs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading stories about traveling and people living colorful lives in foreign countries allows us to explore the world in ways not always open to us in real life, sending us into grand adventures with each turn of a page. These literary encounters provide the perfect platform to teach our kids about places and cultures beyond their home country, expanding their vocabularies and geographical knowledge over an afternoon bonding with a community of friends. So get ready to board a flight for a grand adventure, right from the comfort of your living room. <\/span><\/p>\n

An Invitation to Experience the World<\/h4>\n

Deciding to get fully immersed into storybook travels with our kids, another book-loving mom friend and I hosted an \u201cAround the World\u201d luncheon, with a book gift exchange, to give our children a taste of the wide world beyond their doorsteps. We invited a handful of other families to join us, along with their little travelers, for an adventurous storytime and some international eats by sending out \u201cA Passport to Read the World\u201d invitations. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"passport<\/a>
A passport to adventure | Image courtesy Etsy seller SproullieDesigns<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These fun mock passports can be made with some blue cardstock, just a few sheets of paper, staples, and stickers:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Using blue cardstock for authenticity, we sliced each page down the middle to make two covers from each sheet.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Repeating the process with plain printing paper, we cut five pages in half to fit between the cover sheet.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Lining up the blank white pages with the blue cover, we stapled them down the centerline to make a binding.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Once stapled, we folded each booklet in half and decorated the cover with foil markers and <\/span>passport stamp stickers<\/span><\/a> to craft them into the perfect tickets to guide the way for our reading travels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Inside the front cover of each passport-inspired invitation, families were asked to go online and sign into our <\/span>book gift exchange<\/span><\/a> to find out which family they\u2019ll be gifting with their favorite cultural tale. Then, they\u2019ll bring a new book, gift wrapped for the exchange, as well as their own beloved copy to read to the group. We even included an option to donate a second new book to our local library so our entire community can expand their horizons.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Finally, we made sure to remind the guests to bring their invitation, nay passport, along with them to the party\u2014their mini world travelers will be filling up the blank pages with all the fun things learned about exotic locales as we read about them. <\/span><\/p>\n

    A Space to Seek Adventure\u2014and Treats\u2014Together<\/h4>\n

    For our trip around the world, we pack the living room with comfy places to sit, centered around one large armchair that acts as the pilot\u2019s seat for the featured storyteller as they take us on the escapades of their chosen book. To add an element of traveling whimsy to the decor, we enhanced the armchair to look like the front end of an airplane:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"vintage<\/a>
    Vintage Airplane Whimsy | Image courtesy Etsy seller Mirabilitas<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
      \n
    1. Using a couple cardboard boxes, we <\/span>fashion two sides of a plane and a pair of wings<\/span><\/a> by tracing the general shapes and cutting them out.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Grabbing the markers and stickers we had leftover from making passports, we adorn the wings and label the sides of the plane \u201cStorytime Air.\u201d <\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Once our plane parts are decorated to our liking, we fasten the wings to the sides of the plane using clear packing tape.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Now that each side of our plane is assembled, we prop them up against either side of the armchair, and we\u2019re ready for takeoff!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      When it\u2019s storytime, we\u2019ll explain to the kids that each of their books is a special \u201cflight map\u201d able to take us on a unique adventure all over the world with the turn of a page. We also lined up a couple tables along the wall in the back to display the international cuisine we would sample for our storytime luncheon. We spread out book pages and maps to act as a table runner, hung extra books over a clothesline as a banner, and propped books up in stacks topped with a globe, a telescope, and a compass to inspire us in our explorations ahead. <\/span><\/p>\n

      Navigation Through Narration<\/h4>\n

      Now that the room is staged for a grand adventure, the little ones are ready to dive into the pages of their favorite tales from afar with their friends. As we read aloud, parents are encouraged to help their kiddos make journal entries about our travels in their passports. The little ones can draw pictures while parents write in fun facts their adventuring babes loved from each story so they can revisit them again and again, taking note of the titles for future book purchases.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"international<\/a>
      The (Mini) Flags of All Nations | Image courtesy Amazon seller Fun Express<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Lily and her mom Rachel read <\/span>Ruby\u2019s Wish<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a Chinese-inspired tale, taking turns on a few pages so 6-year-old Lily could practice her out-loud reading. Ryan could hardly wait to pass out the \u201cpassport stamp\u201d stickers he brought along to match his favorite book, and jumped up to start the moment his dad turned to the last page of <\/span>The Cat Who Walked Across France<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Other <\/span>amazing international reads<\/span><\/a> the group brought were:<\/span><\/p>\n